Special Edition: Talk of the TownshipAugust 31, 2017; 5 p.m.

The Woodlands Township storm recovery update THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS (Thursday,August 31, 2017, 5 p.m.) - The Woodlands Fire Department and emergency officials continue to monitor the effects of Harvey on The Woodlands. Efforts are underway to help The Woodlands get back to normal and to assist those in need.

GENERAL TOWNSHIP UPDATESTownship offices are open regular business hours.

The Woodlands Expresswill operate special service on Friday to the Texas Medical Center ONLY from the Research Forest Park and Ride location ONLY. The other two locations remain closed. The special service is being operated for medical personnel and staff to the Texas Medical Center and patients to the DeBakey VA Hospital in Houston. Service runs from 5:45 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. Full service is expected to begin Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017. Follow on Twitter @TownshipTransit.

Town Center Trolleys are operational.

Due to conditions on Lake Woodlands, the boat houses are scheduled to open Friday. Public use of the lake is restricted.

REVISED: Parks personnel are working to reopen the pools and parks, understanding that some parks have sustained damage and may still have standing water and are being repaired as conditions allow. Pools are expected to open Saturday, and recreation programs have resumed at the Recreation Center at Bear Branch Park.

Labor Day in The Woodlands event scheduled for this Sunday at Waterway Square has been cancelled. Although the severe weather in The Woodlands area has subsided, the Township employees have shifted into recovery mode to help residents and remain focused on assessing and repairing storm damage in its facilities throughout The Woodlands.

MAILAll mail service is operational and any outgoing mail delivered to the post office today will go out.

FEMAThe Township has received notice of the President’s FEMA Declaration for Montgomery and Harris Counties. This declaration will allow county governments to initiate debris removal programs and provide reimbursement of certain emergency expenses incurred by local government during the emergency and will allow individuals to start filing for emergency assistance.

Constituents may call the registration phone number at 1-800-621-3362; those who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362.

TRASH AND DEBRISWaste Management curbside trash and yard waste service has resumed. Most services are on a two-day delay, resuming normal service on Monday, September 4, 2017. There will be no curbside recycling services this week due to flooding at the regional recycling processing facility.

Storm DebrisThe Counties of Montgomery and Harris manage all storm debris removal. Waste Management will NOT pick up storm debris.

DRINKING WATER SAFE in The Woodlands, despite rumorsDespite numerous rumors throughout social media, the two major municipal water districts serving residents in The Woodlands report water is safe to drink.

Harris-Montgomery Counties MUD 386 customers in Creekside Park and Carlton Woods at Creekside may resume normal sanitary sewer practices. The District is a customer of Harris County MUD 387 which provides water supply and sewer collection services to the Harris County portion of the District. At this time, the Harris County MUD 387 wastewater treatment plant and lift stations throughout the District are in working order. Repairs will be on-going to bring these facilities back to pre-flood conditions.

Harris County MUD 387 owns and operates three water supply facilities. The facility located in the Timarron subdivision was damaged by the recent flood waters and is not operational. Consequently, Harris County MUD 387 may be unable to provide full service at this time, however the current water supply is SAFE to drink. Water usage and demand will be monitored to determine if the District’s Drought Contingency Plan will be enacted. Repairs to water plant 2 are underway. Once the repairs are complete, full service will be restored.

To report MAJOR water and sewer emergencies, call Municipal District Services at 281-290-6503.

SHELTERSShelter, volunteer and donation information is changing on an hourly basis. Please visit www.woodlandsinterfaith.org to learn more about shelters in The Woodlands and what you can do to help.

Interfaith of The Woodlands has been the main source for social services in The Woodlands since The Woodlands was founded, and is coordinating efforts to meet basic needs of individuals and families in the local shelters, including making plans for long-term housing for displaced families. Please visit the Interfaith website for ways to volunteer and assist.

The following list is information compiled by the Township, but not all was verifiable as of Thursday afternoon.

Woodlands Church at 1 Fellowship Way on Highway 242 has space and supplies on hand. Needs volunteers to serve, work in shifts, and support those in need who arrive throughout today and the rest of the week. For those in need of rescue or immediate assistance please call the church’s Disaster Relief Hotline: 936-217-5026

Church Project, 295 Sawdust Road, plenty of available space and fully stocked as of Wednesday morning.

Due to danger to residents and the public presented by electrical distribution facilities impacted by flood waters, electric service is subject to being disconnected in flooded areas until flood waters recede to the point this danger no longer exists. Affected residents are to be notified by the power companies prior to a disconnect. When the hazard is mitigated, power companies will restore power to these homes as soon as possible.

The public is urged to follow these important electric and natural gas safety tips:

Electric

Stay away from downed power lines. Be especially mindful of downed lines that could be hidden in flood waters and treat all downed lines as if they are energized.

Once away from the area, call CenterPoint Energy and we will respond as soon as it is safe to do so.

When possible, we recommend that you contact a licensed electrician to advise and assist during flood conditions in turning power off at the breaker box and back on. If it appears that water will get as high as the outlets in your house, we recommend that you cut off power at the breaker box only if you are able to do so safely and without standing in water.

If you experienced flooding above the electrical outlets in your home, contact a licensed electrician before turning on the main circuit breaker or trying to restore power.

All electrical appliances and electronic equipment that have been submerged in water need to dry thoroughly for at least one week. Then, have them checked by a qualified repair person before turning them on. Attempting to repair a flood-damaged appliance could result in electrical shock or death. Attempting to restart it could result in further damage and costly repairs.

If the outside unit of an air conditioning system has been under water, mud and water may have accumulated in the controls. Have the unit checked by a qualified air conditioning technician.

Natural Gas

Do not turn off your natural gas service at the meter; doing so could allow water to enter the natural gas lines.

Be alert for the smell of natural gas. If you smell gas, leave the area immediately on foot and tell others to leave, too.

If you smell gas, do not turn the lights on or off, smoke, strike a match, use a cell phone or operate anything that might cause a spark, including a flashlight or a generator.

Do not attempt to turn natural gas valves on or off. Once safely away from the area, call 888-876-5786 and once it is safe, CenterPoint Energy will send a trained service technician.

MORE INFORMATIONFor additional information, please visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov and follow the Harvey Recovery Updates. You can also keep up through the Township’s Facebook and Twitter channels.

Find Emergency Resources Online

During an emergency involving The Woodlands Township, there are different ways to access emergency information. The full list of resources can be accessed viathe link. View the Emergency Resources page...